Four fatalities in five months: Safety emphasis ahead for Lovell Valley Road

After three car crashes killed four people within five months on Lovell Valley Road, Coeur d’Alene Tribal Police are stepping up safety measures.

Police officers will place more emphasis patrols on the road. Signs alerting drivers of upcoming curves will be set up by the tribal public works department.

“[Just] trying to get people to obey the speed limit,” said tribal spokesman Marc Stewart.

Tribal police may also install guardrails along the road.

The eight-mile stretch of the road runs southwest of Idaho 95 from Plummer to Tilma at the state line. It is a popular route for traffic between Tekoa and Plummer, Worley and Coeur d’Alene.

Idaho State Police responded to all three accidents, along with tribal and county police. Lt. Chris Schenck with the ISP said the road itself is no more dangerous than other roads in the area, but the accidents were more related to poor driving judgment and vehicle problems.

“As far as this particular road becoming more and more dangerous than any other, because of its particular characteristics, I’d have to say no,” Schenck said.

In March, two women, a mother and daughter, died in a single vehicle crash on the road. The driver was Veronica Matt, 25 years old, of Tensed, who died in the crash, along with her mother, 42-year-old Juanita Garcia.

There were four other passengers in the vehicle, one of whom, 24-year-old Joseph Matt, was later a driver in the third fatal crash on the road.

Ms. Matt and Ms. Garcia were the sister and mother, respectively, of Joseph Matt. The ISP press release said alcohol was a factor in the incident and neither of the two deceased were wearing seatbelts.

The second fatal crash, in early July, also involved a single vehicle. Driver was Travis Sines, 18. The passenger was Brandon Hay, a 17-year-old student at Tekoa High School. He died after being ejected from the vehicle. Hay was heading into his senior year at the high school.

The third crash was Aug. 18, and involved two people in a single vehicle crash. The driver was Joseph Matt (a passenger in the March accident) and passenger William Davidson, 22, of Desmet. Both were thrown from the vehicle and Davidson died from his injuries. Davidson was Joseph Matt’s cousin.

Matt has endured two crashes within six months and survived both.

Schenck said thus far no charges have been filed in any of the three accidents.